Manga Monday #16: My Giant Nerd Boyfriend

I haven’t been reading digital comics for very long. I think I’ve only been reading webtoons for about two years now? Considering that I’ve been reading print comics, including manga, since I was at least ten–so seventeen years now, wow–the two years of digital I have under my belt is pretty meager in comparison. Still, I think I prefer webtoons over any other comic style. I love how accessible they are, and I love that they keep the comic engine roaring.

Even as paperback sales have decreased, comics are going nowhere, and a big part of that is due to webcomics. This includes webcomics that, even if you aren’t actively seeking them out, you’re still probably running along them. Webcomics like As Per Usual, Bluechair, dustinteractive–at least one of these I can guarantee you’ve seen a strip of, whether on Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, or Instagram. These anthology-like webcomics, which don’t follow any overstretching storyline, are like the modern age’s newspaper comics, offering short snippets of story to make you smile.

My Giant Nerd Boyfriend

My Giant Nerd Boyfriend displays small looks into the life of its author, Fishball, and her boyfriend who just-so-happens to be almost a foot taller than her. It’s a slice-of-life at its best, offering up hilarious tales of their highly contrasting heights.

First off, I love Fishball’s style. Brushstrokes, coloration, and design–it’s all incredibly appealing but also appropriately simplified for the content she’s presenting. But seriously, her color palette choices. I LOVE THEM.

Also, I really enjoy that she hand writes the text. It has nothing to do with the value of her comic, I just love the look and feel of comic artists who write out their own text–it’s an old school feel that I totally approve of. I don’t think I’d ever be able to do it, though. To quote my college Spanish teacher: “Your handwriting looks great, but I honestly can’t tell if you’re writing in Spanish or English sometimes.”

To put it simply, My Giant Nerd Boyfriend is enjoyable because it feels real. The situations and conversations in which herself and her boyfriend engage are hilarious, yes, but they are relayed in a way that is realistic. Too often we are offered humor just for humor’s sake; this isn’t a bad thing, it’s just really fun to be laughing at something that you’re like, “Yeah, I could totally see that happening.” Like when he names his hideous World of Warcraft mount after her, haha!

My Giant Nerd Boyfriend utilizes not only the humor of their height difference, but general humor related to what being a nerd entails. This includes the power of her boyfriend’s favorite Pikachu shirt, trolls when you’re gaming online, and the differences between manga and reality. Fishball very cleverly juxtaposes every day things with nerdy culture for some freaking hilarious results.

Honestly, if I could post every favorite moment from even the first half of what’s been published, this would be a VERY graphic-heavy post. This comic is just my kind of humor, guys. Such simple life observances spun into pieces that don’t just make you laugh, but have you saying, “IT’S SO TRUE.” My Giant Nerd Boyfriend is so relatable that it’s comfortable and warming to read. It’s the exact slice of life you want to be tasting.

Even though it’s autobiographical in a sense, it’s not self-serving, while at the same time Fishball doesn’t spend the entire time making digs at herself or her boyfriend. She takes the hilarious reality of a short person in knee-high boots, and a tall person in the gym’s tiny showers, and makes them funny, not demeaning. The fact is that there are many challenges that come with extreme height differences, but she chooses to find the humor in them, and that’s what makes this comic so lovable.

My Giant Nerd Boyfriend is a webcomic that anyone can pick up at anytime and come out of it thinking, “Yep, that was awesome.”

If you’re interested in partaking in the totally utter happiness that is My Giant Nerd Boyfriend, it updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and can be read for free on Webtoon or its app.